Building commissioning (Cx) is a relatively new but now frequently used quality assurance method. Owners typically contract a certified commissioning authority (CxA) to perform independent oversight of engineered systems, ideally through conception, design, procurement, functional testing, acceptance, warranty, and one year of operation. Independent from the design engineer, a CxA flags issues or opportunities for improvement … Read more
The reality is that an integrator operating in a design-build project without the assistance of a technology consultant will likely cost the owner more money (and certainly more headache).
iBwave is a software that allows engineers to predictively model how wireless signals, from cellular, to WiFi, to radio walkie talkie, will propagate through a building. This informs the design of distributed antenna systems (DAS) and emergency responder radio communication systems (ERRCS). While iBwave was first released in 2003, we have seen increasing demand for its … Read more
We began working on our first big healthcare project in 2005: the $900-million Palomar Pomerado Hospital Expansion in San Diego. The hospital leadership held a visioning session with expert speakers from technology manufacturers about what “the hospital of the future” would be like. Experts described robots roaming the corridors, voice-controlled technology replacing keyboards, and video screens … Read more
Co-authored by Jarod Stockdale We’ve all experienced the scenario of entering the lobby of a commercial office building and finding ourselves bouncing around between security stations that feel designed to ensure you arrive at your destination 20 minutes late and exasperated. Technology can seem like the necessary evil, but if designed and coordinated properly, it can … Read more
We’ve watched data center projects become fragmented into separate technology system packages that are designed by different designers and then installed by different contractors. This can result in system clashes, construction coordination issues, and commissioning issues that impact the project schedule and budget. Collaboration, convergence, and construction administration are the three C’s to keep data center … Read more
Brighton, UK – 18 December 2019 – The Chailey Heritage Foundation D.R.E.A.M. Centre sets a new standard in the creative use of cutting-edge audiovisual technology to make a range of experiences accessible for children and young people for whom it is very difficult to travel. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall opened the centre on … Read more
For commercial buildings, the decision to use plenum cable materials is driven by the mechanical HVAC design, the architectural design, and construction costs. Per the National Electrical Code (NEC®), the exposed data cabling installed in “other space used for environmental air” must be plenum rated (e.g. OFNP, CL2P, CMP)1. One example is the space between the … Read more
Data center telecom design has moved away from traditional spanning tree networks (depicted below), which can choke the allocation of bandwidth, to fabric networks, which can provide multiple data paths. Fabric network design has had a significant impact on the cabling that runs from the top-of-rack switches in each server cabinet to the meet-me-rooms for off-site … Read more
Oakland – Oct. 17, 2019 – Technology engineering and design consultancy TEECOM won AV Magazine’s Consultancy of the Year award for 2019. Blair Parkin, Principal and Executive Vice President, collected the award at a ceremony in London on Friday evening the 11th. Parkin, who served as a judge for other categories, recused himself for this category. … Read more
